Reports & Papers

398 Items

A lighthouse, battered by waves, sits at the center of this dark and stormy seascape.

AP Photo/Matt Dunham

Report - Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs

Democracy and the Liberal World Order Amid the Rise of Authoritarianism

| Aug. 14, 2023

The entanglement and feedback loops among the domestic and the geopolitical cycles of distrust have resulted in a cohesive threat to democracy: a downward political spiral that is pulling societies towards enmity. This spiral feeds on and generates destructive human emotions at massive scale, such as outrage and hatred, that lead to violence, war, and autocracy, so it can be better understood as a dangerous global maelstrom of distrust, which could sink democracy worldwide. As showcased by historical evidence, domestic and international forces do not act in isolation from each other. Democratic backsliding, the rise of authoritarianism and totalitarianism, and the politics of aggression generated feedback loops in the 1930s, that resulted in WWII. Similar forces are again working in the 2020s. If massive distrust can wreck democracy worldwide, it follows that the regeneration of trust is the path to democratic revitalization.

drawing of math problems

N. Hanacek/NIST

Report - Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School

Technology Primer: Post-Quantum Cryptography

    Editors:
  • Boaz Barak
  • Lily Chen
  • Jack Hidary
  • Vinod Vaikuntanathan
| June 23, 2023

Quantum computers pose a threat to conventional cryptography, putting our information and communication systems at risk. In an effort to sustain the privacy and integrity of our data ecosystems, researchers are turning to post-quantum cryptography (PQC). This publication describes how PQC works, and the governance, application, and public purpose considerations for implementing PQC. 

An orange and blue background with an isometric illustration of digital buildings and people

Helena Rong

Report

From Community Currency to Crypto City Tokens: Potentials, Shortfalls, and Future Outlooks of New Old Ideas

| June 15, 2023

Tailored to specific geographic areas, local community currencies are alternative monetary systems designed to empower local businesses and foster engagement while promoting a greater sense of unity of a place. Although these community currencies have never become mainstream practice throughout history, they have repeatedly risen in popularity during times of economic crisis or instability. In the wake of the pandemic, a resurgent interest in community currencies—now powered by blockchain and Web3 technologies—is reshaping the way cities approach local financing and engagement of their constituents. Over the last two years, mayors from major U.S. cities such as New York City, Jackson, Tampa Bay, Miami, and Austin made headlines by openly endorsing cryptocurrencies and embracing the idea of city-branded tokens in hopes of unlocking alternative ways of fundraising and boosting local economic growth during the crypto market’s heyday. With a rich history rooted in times of economic turmoil, community currencies offer both inspiring success stories and cautionary tales of the challenges that lie ahead as cities navigate the evolving financial landscape. As we consider the possibilities of community currencies powered by crypto, we ask: Are they just a temporary fad that poses potential risks and little value, or do they hold the potential to truly offer a synergistic solution to the problems facing cities today? Could they digitally revolutionize the age-old practice of local community currency and elevate public purpose value and social impact? 

A burnt dark grey with background with an isometric illustration of digital grey and black scene with wording.

Image Courtesy: CityDAO.io/

Report

Deep-Dive Into CityDAO: An Experiment in Collective Land Ownership and Decentralized Governance

| June 14, 2023

In October 2021, CityDAO, a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO), raised over $8 million from over 5,000 members globally to purchase 40 acres of land in Wyoming, aiming to build a city based on the Ethereum blockchain, a first for a DAO. This case study provides an insightful examination of the potential of DAOs for collective land ownership and community governance, offering valuable lessons for future best practices.

 

A blue background with an isometric illustration of an orange colored lit freeway  during evening hours.

Helena Rong

Report

Connected Digital Society: Paving Ways for Country-Scale Digital Interoperability in Estonia

| June 14, 2023

Estonia, after a series of severe cyberattacks in 2007, integrated blockchain technology into its e-governance system, bolstering its cybersecurity infrastructure and becoming a global model of digital society innovation. Today, Estonia is one of the world's most digitally integrated countries, with 99% of its public services digitized, reportedly saving over 1,400 years of working time and about 2% of its GDP annually. This case study provides a comprehensive analysis of Estonia's digital transformation, evaluating the endeavor from multiple perspectives, encompassing technology, governance, regulatory frameworks, stakeholder involvement, and the underlying values driving the transformation. It aims to derive lessons for other countries considering their own digital transformations.

Steam rises from a coal-fired power plant.

AP Photo/Michael Probst

Report - Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School

Technology Primer: Direct Air Capture

    Editors:
  • Howard Herzog
  • Peter Psarras
| June 09, 2023

Direct air capture (DAC) is a type of technology that captures carbon dioxide directly from the air. As the negative impacts of climate change become ever more apparent, governments and private industries have funneled increasing support toward DAC as a critical pathway toward achieving a net-zero future. Although a promising technology, wide-scale deployment of DAC faces several significant challenges.

Report

When URL Meets IRL in Web3: Lessons for Decentralized Trust-Building Technologies in Democratic Governance

| May 03, 2023

Decentralized Web3 technologies such as blockchain emerged as instruments for creating an alternative “trustless” system that uses cryptography and decentralized consensus mechanisms to obviate the need for third party human intermediaries, but suffered significant setbacks due to massive frauds and speculations throughout the past decade of their evolution. This report investigates a variety of case studies that showcase emerging efforts to employ decentralized trust-building technologies (DTTs), especially those central to web3, in the physical realities and the built environment of our social institutions.

Report - Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School

Technology Primer: Augmented and Virtual Reality for the Metaverse

    Editors:
  • Micaela Mantegna
  • Tibor Merey
  • Greg Pryor
  • John Yang
| Apr. 24, 2023

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR), typically accessed through smartphones and headset devices, allow users to access a shared virtual environment, often referred to as a metaverse. While major companies make multibillion dollar bets on the metaverse, regulation and governance structures are still underdeveloped. In this technology primer, we dive into the technology, use cases, governance, and public purpose considerations of AR and VR for the Metaverse.